Shoe-cleaning machine.



4 J llr vs 9 Patented lan. 9, |900.V

SHOE CLEANING MACHINE. y

(Apphcatxon led Apr 24 1899 .L KRATOFIL S. P. LEVY.

(No Model.)

Nr'rnn STATES "PATENT OFFICE.-

.IOI-IANN KRATOFIL AND SAMUEL P. LEVY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SHOE-CLEANING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,920, dated January 9, 1900. Application iiled April 24, 1899. Serial No. 714,341. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that we, JOHANN KRATOFIL and SAMUEL P. LEvY,citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Shoe-Cleaning Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the art of brushing and scrubbing, and more particularly to devices known as foot-cleaners 5 and the object of the same is to produce certain improvements in shoe-cleaning machines.

To this end the invention consists in an article of furniture adapted for household and office use and wherein the foot can be placed, and by turning a suitable crank various brushes remove the dirt from the shoe and, if blacking has been applied thereto, produce a polish thereon.

The following specification describes our preferred manner of carrying out this idea, as best illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein-,-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine complete, partly broken away to show its interior structure. Fig. 2 is a plan view.

Mounted on legs or supports 1 1 is a casing comprising sides 2, a headboard 3, which preferably has a mirror, hooks 4 for the hat, 85o., an umbrella-rack 5, and such other details as go to make up part of an article of furniture, although the same form no part of our invention. 6 designates the bottom of this casing, and 7 its front end, and through the latter, over the former, slides a drawer 8, having a handle 9.

Within the casing are mounted parallel boards 10, slotted to form guides, hereinafter described, and transversely across the casing, above the drawer, are separated foot-rests 11, on which the shoe may be rested between said boards and above the drawer, it being understood that the top of the casing is open. The drawer is obviously for the purpose of receiving such mud and other dirt as may be brushed 0E of the shoe, and from time to time it can be removed and emptied, as will be clear.

Rising from one of the sides2 is a support 20, carrying a drive-wheel 21, having a crankhandle 22, this wheel and its handle standing just forward of the headboard and in convenient position to be reached by an operator whose foot rests upon the rests 11.

23 is a driven shaft having a pulley 24, connected by belt 25 with the drive-wheel 21, and on this shaft is mounted a spool 26, carrying a toe-brush 27, which is obviously rotated by turning the drive-wheel.

30 are the side brushes, moving in guides within said boards 10 and connected by pitman-rods 31`with crank-pins 32 in the heads of the spool 26 or in crank-wheels 33, carried by the ends of the shaft 23. By preference these crank-pins 32 are set opposite each other, so that the brushes 30 will have an alternate reciprocating movement. These brushes obviously cleanse the sides of the shoe which rests upon the rests 11.

41 designates the heel-brush, mounted on a spool 41, whose shaft 42 is journaled in the boards 10 and carries a sprocket-wheel 43, connected by crossed belt 44 with one wheel 45 of a double pulley mounted on a countershaft 46 and whose other pulley is connected by a belt 47 with a second pulley 4S, mounted on the driven shaft 23. Thus the rotation of the latter turns the counter-shaft, and the counter-shaft causes the rotation of the heelbrush to remove the dirt from the heel of the shoe while upon the rests 11.

Especial attention is called to the fact that the driving-wheel 21 is intended to be rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow, which will turn the toe-brush 27 in a similar direc tion and which by reason of the crossing of the belt 44 will turn the heel-brush 41 in the opposite direction, and as the inner faces of both the toe and heel brushes move down- ,ward while the side brushes reciprocate almachine passes his foot through the open top of the casing and rests it upon the rests 11, and thereafter a rotary movement of the drive-wheel 21 causes the toe brush 27 to clean the toe of the shoe, the side brushes 30 to clean the sides thereof, and the heel-brush to clean the heel, or if he has just applied blacking to these parts of his shoe the latter will be polished. All dirt, mud, duc. removed from the shoe by contact with the rests and by the movements of the brushes fall into the drawer 8, which is withdrawn and is dumped at intervals. This point We consider quite important, especially when used in connection with brushes revolving in such direction as to carry all dirt from the shoe downward into the drawer.

We do not limit ourselves to the exact construction of brushes shown, as they will be shaped and built to conform with the necessary requirements; nor is the headboard, with its adjuncts, at all essential, although it is preferably used in this connection.

Vhat is claimed as new isl. In a shoe-cleaning machine, the combination with a casing,of oppositely-sliding side brushes therein, a driven shaft having cranks connected with said side brushes, and a toebrush mounted on said shaft; of a heel-brush, acounter-shaft, belts connecting the countershaft With the heel-brush and with the driven shaft, and a power shaft for rotating the driven shaft, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a shoe-cleaning machine, the combination with a casing. having transverse separated foot-rests, and a removable drawer beneath the latter; of rotary toe and heel brushes turning inward toward each other, and two oppositely-sliding brushes for the sides of the shoe moving along` guides in said casing, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a shoe-cleaning machine, the combination with a casing having side boards provided with guides, side brushes moving therein, and a driven shaft having a rotary toebrush and crank-wheelsconnected by pitman-rods with said side brushes; of an idle shaft below the driven shaft and belted thereto, a rotary heel-brush belted to the idle shaft, and a driving-shaft belted to a second wheel on the driven shaft, both rotary brushes turning inward toward each other, as and for the purpose set forth.

4:. In a shoe-cleaning machine, the combination with a casing having slotted side boards and transverse and separated footrests, a drawer beneath the latter, a headboard rising from the casing, and a support; of a driving-shaft journaled in said support, side brushes moving in the slots of said boards, a driven shaft having crank-wheels connected by pitman-rods with said brushes, connections between this shaft and the driving-shaft, a rotary heel-brush, and connections between this brush and the driven shaft, all as and for the purpose set forth.

JOHANN KRATOFIL.

SAMUEL P. LEVY.

lVitnesses:

EDWIN Gno. BRoTHERroN, NELL'IE HooLIHAN. 

